Winner of Solar Decathlon 2018
FUTUREHAUS
- Winner of Solar Decathlon 2018
As part of a team of 80 people, 65 students and 15 professors at Virginia Tech, I helped construct the FutureHAUS that was sent to the Solar Decathlon competition in Dubai 2018. Apart from constructing the house, I was heavily involved in designing the screen wall surrounding the project. In terms of the screen, my contributions were to help develop the pattern, write the grasshopper algorithm for the screen as well as developing the drawings necessary to produce the panels and communicate the design to the construction crew on site. The algorithm was valuable for the design team to make multiple, quick iterations to visualize the screen and to make drawings.
The house was built in Blacksburg, VA, disassembled, transported to Dubai in parts, rebuilt again on site in Dubai. The project won the Solar Decathlon competition.
The aesthetic concept behind the screen was too reveal and hide select parts of the garden and the house. The bedroom was for example behind a more secluded part of the screen, while the dining room was visually more connected to the surroundings.
The Screen as modules
Although the pattern and it's openings had to perform at an aesthetic level, the circumstantial challenges is really what set the screen apart.
First of all, the screen had to function well in a warm climate, meaning provide some shade as well as not contracting and holding too much heat. Secondly, it had to be light weight for both ease of construction and transportation. Thirdly, it had to be able to pack flat to be transported around the world for it's final destination. Lastly, it had to be a quick construction as we were running low on time.
The solution became a pre-cut, white pained, aluminium panel.
To produce a desired cut pattern and folding angles, an algorithm was written in Grasshopper that predetermined the cut pattern and used proximity to a curve as indicator of folding angle of the metal ends. Not only did the algorithm facilitate a fast and smooth workflow, it also enable visualization of the final product as well as it continuously supply information throughout the building process.
To speed up the construction process, all panels were cut to the same pattern. Once delivered on site, each flower of each panel was assigned a predetermined angle to which the flower was to be bent. These angles were set to 15°, 30°, 45° or 60°.
To the right is a drawing produced for on site finishing.
To the right is a drawing produced for on site construction.
Constructing the Screen
Flat screen wall with scored fold lines.
Small wooden jig with an angle of 60°.
The jig is used to fold the metal to the predetermined angle.
Folds are complete. In this case to 60°.
Courtesy: Erik Thorson Photography
Photo gallery from Dubai
All photographs, images and text on this website are © Copyright Erik Styrbjörn Odd Torell 2020-2021. All works on this website are the exclusive property of Erik Styrbjörn Odd Torell and are protected under International Copyright laws. The unauthorized use of any images or text on this site will be litigated.
Styrbjörn Torell I styrbjorn.torell@gmail.com
Münster, Germany 48149